What is “Garage Rehab”?

Any self-respecting auto fan will have heard of Richard Rawlings, owner of Gas Monkey Garage (GMG), and known for being the protagonist of “Fast ‘N Loud”. “Garage Rehab” premiered on the Discovery Channel in 2017 after Richard pitched the concept to the network two years prior; the show’s premise saw him once again in a leading role, overhauling struggling car shops with help from his co-hosts Chris Stephens and Russell Holmes.

Richard Rawlings

A wise businessman and media personality, Richard was born in Texas in 1969, and purchased his first car when 14 years old after years of attending auto shows and building cars with his father. Shortly after graduating from Eastern Hills High School, the future celebrity married his childhood sweetheart Karen Grames, but whom he divorced the following year.

The late nineties were a bustling time for Richard as he started his first business, the printing and advertising company Lincoln Press, and married his second wife, Suzanne Mergele in 1999. Surprisingly, the couple divorced in 2009, but decided to give each other a second chance six years later, tying the knot once again. However, Richard announced via social media in March 2019 that he and Suzanne were separating and filing for divorce. Apart from that, not much is known about his love life, despite rumors of infidelity often surrounding his persona over the years.

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As for GMG, Richard launched the car shop in 2002, two years before selling his floundering first business. The shop’s specialty is customizing hot-rod and classic cars for customers around the globe, although in recent years, the focus has shifted away from their quality of work due to well-documented workplace drama, including high staff turnover.

2012 to 2020 were golden years for GMG as the shop got its own Discovery Channel show, “Fast N’ Loud”. Despite none of the subsequent seasons achieving the success of the first, the program was popular enough to spawn two spin-offs, a merchandise line, and more. Richard confirmed that the show had come to an end in a December 2020 appearance on “The Joe Regan Experience”.

“Garage Rehab” was also quietly shelved in mid-2019 after two seasons, marking the end of Richard’s TV career for the time being.

Gas Monkey Garage

To understand why two seemingly popular shows were cancelled in so little time, it’s necessary to know more about the workplace dynamics at GMG, where most of the filming took place. In the earlier seasons of “Fast N’ Loud”, Richard would travel the US with his lead mechanic Aaron Kaufman in search of dilapidated cars with potential, with the goal being to restore said vehicles and sell them on for a profit.

Although Richard and Aaron succeeded most of the time, the former’s domineering personality caused plenty of clashes at GMG amongst his staff members. Many a time, employees who argued with Richard found themselves out of work, which became something of a running joke for viewers – until Aaron announced that he, too, was leaving the show.

In a scripted but very emotional episode, Aaron broke the news to Richard, who appeared devastated. The hardworking lead mechanic also left fans heartbroken with his decision, and as often happens, some netizens began blaming Richard for Aaron’s departure. Later on, Aaron himself revealed that he’d left due to professional and personal differences, after pressure from the show’s producers to overwork himself. The bearded media personality also revealed that the show was hindering his creativity.

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Plenty of cast members have left the show over the years, but Tom Smith and Jordan Butler made headlines for it when TMZ reported that they’d been dismissed following a dispute over a fan touching one of Richard’s cars. Tom claimed that he and Jordan were fired when Richards using foul language, ordered said fan – who suffered from cystic fibrosis – to get away from his car.

Upon telling Richard to “Chill the f*ck out,” Tom was dismissed along with Jordan. Richard later claimed that he’d had nothing but problems with the two mechanics, who later found work in other car shops, and went on to appear in “Misfit Garage”. The 2014 incident was largely swept under the capet, but it didn’t take long for the drama – manufactured and real – to take its toll on the company’s reputation.

“Fast N’ Loud” Scandals & Fakery

Plenty of scathing articles have uncovered the truth about how much of “Fast N’ Loud” was cleverly edited or flat-out scripted. For example, when the show began, Richard would find cars on his own, but in later seasons, GMG employees were approached by clients with jobs that needed to be completed within a specific timeframe.

Although there’s no problem with that, it soon became evident that the “random” clients had actually been specifically picked by producers or Discovery Channel executives. One example is when a customer brought in a hot wheels car for the company’s Red Line party.

The rivalry between “Fast N’ Loud” and “Misfit Garage” also turned out to be fake – Discovery Channel offered Tom a spin-off when he was fired, and took advantage of the bad blood between him and Richard to pull in viewers, but with time it was revealed that Richard is the landlord of Tom’s garage, and has producer credits on the series.

In season four of the show, Richard brought his crew to a barn where he’d ‘discovered’ two valuable prototype Pontiac Firebirds. The charismatic TV star boasted about how the prototypes were worth $325,000 apiec,e and even more once they were cleaned up, but fans cried foul as soon as the episode aired.

As it happens, both Firebirds had been sold on eBay for just $30,000 a year earlier, and they weren’t abandoned in a barn either, but rather stored there until filming. This particularly scene is often considered the most blatantly contrived out of many scripted moments.

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Richard and the producers got away with most of their stunts, thanks to mixing reality with fiction. Although the Texan does have money on hand at all times in case he finds a good deal, the “on-the-spot” sales featured in the show are almost always faked. This is common in other reality shows, but some viewers are still unaware that deals are worked out before filming begins, and are under the impression that all it takes is for Richard to show up and chat to the owner of the car for a few minutes.

Yet another fake incident was when Richard met his idol, the deceased actor and producer Burt Reynolds. The Hollywood veteran made a cameo in the fourth season – see episode “Fast N’ Loud Meets the Bandit” – while Richard and Aaron were restoring a classic Pontiac Firebird Trans Am.

Despite the sequence being filmed to make it look like the duo merely drove up to Burt’s mansion and waved to get his attention while he was wandering around outside, nothing could be further from the truth. The meeting had been planned out weeks in advance, and Burt knew that they would be coming.

Not all of the show’s faked elements are heinous offences per se, especially in the world of reality TV. However, they did lead to the show’s popularity nosediving in later seasons – even more so after Aaron’s exit – which brought about its unceremonious cancellation.

The Truth About “Garage Rehab”

“Garage Rehab” was Richard’s attempt to do his own take on home makeover shows. By providing business consultation, financial assistance, and equipment, he and his team helped out struggling garages and gave them a second breath of life, as well as much-needed publicity. Yet how much of this was real?

Richard himself was living from paycheck to paycheck when he built GMG from the ground up, so it’s true that he and his team helped garage owners across the country who reached out for help. It’s been reported that each show gives the garage a generous $100,000 loan – but with unknown interest rates – to help the business owners get back on their feet. In one memorable episode, Richard struck up a $200,000 deal to have complete control while renovating the garage, but it’s unknown if the owners repaid the debt, or if it was just another gimmick.

A lot of emphasis was placed on the importance of a garage being clean and presentable for it to make money, with the audience of “Garage Rehab” soon noticing that most of these ‘overhauls’ were merely aesthetic. When the controversy became too much to ignore, Richard and the channel did some post-transformation episodes for skeptical viewers to find out what had happened to each shop.

As it happens, most of the garages had returned to their former state, meaning that the artificial changes did nothing, and which led to viewers considering “Garage Rehab” one of the least trustworthy car shows.

Another unpopular aspect was the over-the-top drama. The garage owners were almost always bad-tempered, depressed, or had other attitude problems, and the hosts ended up arguing in nearly every episode, but by the end of which, things would miraculously work out, which led to negative reviews from viewers. Although the producers toned things down in the second season, it was too late, and the show failed to pull in enough viewers to merit a third season.

Many people have wondered if Richard himself was the cause of “Garage Rehab” and “Fast N’ Loud” being cancelled. The truth is, he’s the common denominator and seemed to have a lot of control over both shows, especially the latter. It’s possible that viewers didn’t connect to his brash and at times overbearing personality, but there’s no concrete evidence of him being to blame for the end of the two shows.

Other Business Ventures

Before becoming a TV sensation, Richard worked as a delivery guy, a fireman, and a cop – and that’s without mentioning the failed printing business, for which he took out a $100,000 loan. It’s no surprise that the shrewd and controversial businessman has branched out into other ventures, instead of putting all his eggs in one basket, meaning that he makes passive income to fall back on if he ever finds himself in economic trouble.

“Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill” was opened in September 2013 with a location in Northwest Dallas. Months later, a second location was opened at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, and Richard has often spoken about wanting to open a third location outside of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. The bar and grill’s success encouraged Richard to open Gas Monkey 2014, and a live music venue in October 2014.

Nevertheless, Richard became embroiled in a legal battle with the bar in 2019, claiming that it didn’t have permission to use his brand. The businessman and the production company of “Fast N’ Loud” filed a countersuit for alleged copyright infringement by the bar and asked for $1 million in damages. Richard and the bar had an agreement dating back to 2013 that licensed use of his logo and trademarks, but the license allegedly expired in 2018, meaning that the bar had been using Gas Monkey’s intellectual property without permission for over a year.

Richard’s main complaint was that the bar was using the logos to promote “disparaging, lewd, and sexually suggestive content and events”. This lawsuit came in response to a 2018 suit that claimed Richard had “deliberately and deceitfully” attempted to get out of his contract with the bar and music venue. It’s unclear if Richard and the bar came to an agreement out of court, but Gas Monkey Live closed permanently in May 2020.

The TV personality’s other restaurant venue, Richard Rawlings’ Garage, was less successful. The Harker Heights location opened in 2016 and closed permanently in March 2019 due to alleged financial hardships that Richard never confirmed. At the same time, he was going through another messy separation.

Never one to be discouraged by setbacks, Richard licensed the Gas Monkey brand to an energy drinks line in 2019; he’s always cooking up something new.

Although the Texan’s main focus right now is GMG, don’t be surprised if you see him on TV again anytime soon.

Who is Beth Chapman?

Alice Elizabeth “Beth” Chapman was a well-beloved TV personality, known for being the beautiful and vivacious wife of Duane Chapman of “Dog the Bounty Hunter” fame. Before becoming a national celebrity, Beth grew up in a bustling household with four siblings, and trained as an ice skater and gymnast.

After matriculating from high school, the young Beth floated from job to job, working as a nightclub stripper, shop clerk, and waitress. Her life changed forever when Duane posted her bond for a shoplifting arrest, and the pair embarked on a relationship. In the early 2000s, Beth moved to Honolulu to be with her future husband; shortly afterwards, the gorgeous blonde would make her first TV appearance.

Over the years, Beth won over the general public with her witty personality, and quotes such as “It’s a woman’s job to outsmart the men”. Her and Duane’s rock-solid bond and on-screen chemistry were undeniable, and made them one of TV’s favorite power couples.

The outspoken star, who was born in October 1967 in Denver, Colorado, USA, left fans heartbroken with her untimely death in June 2019.

Duane Chapman

Duane “Dog” Chapman was born in February 1953, and became one of TV’s unlikeliest stars, following a rocky start to his adult life. In 1976, the Colorado native was sentenced to five years in a Texas prison after being convicted of first-degree murder following a drug deal gone wrong. After serving 18 months in the Texas State Penitentiary, Duane made an effort to turn his life around and began working as a bail bondsman.

In 2003, Duane became famous around the world, thanks to his successful capture of Andrew Luster in Mexico. Andrew’s unsavory crimes included rape, sodomy, and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, and thanks to his family name as the heir of the Max Factor cosmetics fortune, his capture made for an even juicier story.

Just a year later, Duane’s hard work paid off as he was given his own series, “Dog the Bounty Hunter”, on A&E. His other shows include “Dog and Beth: On the Hunt” and “Dog’s Most Wanted”, which premiered in late 2019 on WGN America.

Despite the reality star’s image of devoted family man and spouse, Duane’s personal life before settling down was anything but stable. At the young age of 21, he married his childhood sweetheart, La Fonda Sue Honeycutt, in a cheap and cheerful ceremony – and would go on to tie the knot three more times before meeting Beth. Little is known of his current wife, Francie Frane, although her resemblance to Beth has been dubbed “uncanny”.

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Children

For Duane, navigating fatherhood with his brood of 12 children hasn’t always been smooth sailing. His eldest son, Christopher Michael Hecht, was the product of Duane’s relationship with one of his very first girlfriends, Debbie White. Tragically, Duane only learned of his son’s existence years after Debbie committed suicide, and Christopher was adopted, but every cloud has a silver lining, as the reality star and his firstborn went on to share a close bond.

According to Christopher’s adoptive mother, Gloria Hecht, Duane got in touch with his son when the latter was 19. “He was ecstatic,” she told the U.S Sun, but allegedly, Beth had a hard time accepting Christopher into the family dynamic, saying: “She didn’t treat Chris good and they didn’t like each other at all.”

Christopher’s life has been marred by legal troubles and addiction issues, and he was arrested in 2020 and sentenced to three years in prison, with a release date of November 2023. A rep of Duane spoke to news outlets, and said on his behalf: “I’ve helped Chris numerous times and will again when he’s released from prison.”

The current state of Christopher and Duane’s relationship is ambiguous to say the least, but Gloria went so far as to accuse the famous bounty hunter of neglecting his son. She also claimed that Beth’s strained relationship with Christopher was due to him being just a few years younger than herself.

Duane and his first wife La Fonda Sue had two sons: Duane Lee Chapman II and Leland Blane Chapman, born in 1973 and 1976 respectively. Despite the acrimonious divorce of their parents, both currently work as bail bondsmen, and have made numerous appearances on Duane’s shows. With that said, Duane left the series in 2012 after a purported conflict with Beth, due to feeling that he wasn’t being paid enough for his contributions to “Dog the Bounty Hunter”.

Despite also leaving the show for a time in 2012, Leland is his older brother’s polar opposite. Beth once explained in a promotional interview for Channel Guide Magazine, “Leland wants to stay with his dad. He doesn’t want to be the one to leave or go away.” Duane himself has also said that of all his children, Leland is the one who loves him most.

After remarrying, Duane welcomed three children with his second, now ex-wife Ann Tegnell: Zebadiah, Wesley and James; tragically, Zebadiah died at just a month old in January 1980. Wesley is the founder of The Human Project, a private foundation that helps youth in dangerous situations. Along with his wife Jodie, he also runs an Idaho-based ranch with vacation rentals. Little is known of his brother James.

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Duane clearly wasted no time in recovering from his second divorce – just three months after James’s birth, he welcomed his first daughter, Barbara Katie, with his third now ex-wife Lyssa Rae Greene. In yet another tragic occurrence for the Chapman clan, Barbara passed away in a car crash at the age of 24.

Although Lyssa Rae and Duane’s second daughter, Lyssa Rae, leads a relatively normal lifestyle, their son Tucker has landed himself in hot water plenty of times. Entering adulthood, he served four years of an 18-year sentence for armed robbery, before being released on parole. Duane’s show was also taken off air by A&E when Tucker sold news outlets a salacious recording of his father using racial slurs; it’s unclear whether Tucker and his father are currently on speaking terms.

With Beth, Duane welcomed two children: Bonnie Joanne and Garry, who were born in 1998 and 2001. He also became the adoptive father of Cecily Barmore-Chapman, Beth’s first daughter by her ex-husband. Given their young age, Bonnie and Garry aren’t high-profile media figures yet, although Bonnie has been very outspoken about her political beliefs, and has spoken harshly about Duane in the past.

Controversy

Some of the strange scandals Duane has been embroiled in since becoming a public figure date back to 2007, when the reality TV personality was sued by Monique Shinnery, who at the time was dating his son Tucker. Monique’s name first hit the headlines when The National  Enquirer released an audio tape of a phone conversation between Duane and Tucker in which the bounty hunter called Monique the N-word several times, and tried to convince his son to leave her.

The bounty hunter’s attempts at damage control made a bad situation even worse, as Duane said on Entertainment Tonight that he thought he had a “pass” to use the N-word after being in prison and saying it all the time. “If you use that word in your everyday regular life, you’re a racist,” Kevin Frazier from ET told him.

Despite Duane going on an apology tour later on, and claiming to have reached out to Monique, the latter stated in an interview: “I want justice. He has slandered me, stated that I have bad character, and repeatedly lied about me on national television.” Monique also denied that Duane had apologized to her and Tucker, claiming that his attorney was the one who got in touch with them.

In July 2011, Duane made news for all the wrong reasons yet again, after a heated brawl with the owner of a Colorado restaurant. The incident took place at La Montana Linda Restaurant when Duane’s team stormed the establishment looking for the owner’s father, who Duane was hunting as part of his reality show.

Video footage showed Duane’s team entering through the backdoor and raiding the kitchen; when a patron began recording the incident, one of Duane’s team members threatened him, while another punched him in the face and caused him to drop his camera. A brawl soon broke out, and a second patron was punched in the eye.

Things turned even uglier when the restaurant owner went outside for a face-to-face confrontation with Duane, in which the latter screamed: “Come on white boy… Come on, mother*cker!”. The owner retaliated by throwing a plant at Duane, who allegedly whipped out a stun gun and made more threats, before leaving the scene.

According to Duane, the altercation began when a kitchen worker sprayed one of his team members in the face with cleaning fluid, and the owner was the first one to racially taunt him by referring to the reality star as a “half-breed”. TMZ also reported that at the time, the suspect whom Duane and his team hoped to catch was still on the run.

As is to be expected, Duane’s relationship with Francie so shortly after Beth’s death didn’t go down well with his children, either. Bonnie, his youngest daughter and a BLM supporter, gave a scathing interview shortly afterwards in which she claimed that she wasn’t invited to the wedding due to her beliefs, and also said: “[Duane] would cheat on my mom all the time, and I hated him every time he did it, but I forgave him for that because I wanted a relationship with my dad.”

Bonnie also spoke on her father being fired from UnleashedTV for his racist and homophobic rants. “I have expressed time and time again my ever-growing disappointment in my father’s progression into his old racist ways,” she said. According to the celebrity’s daughter, Beth was a positive influence on Duane, but the change “vanished” when she passed away.

Last but not least, Duane’s mounting debts stemming all the way back to 2013 are yet another bone of contention for the former bail bondsman. In 2003, he was arrested for “felony kidnapping” in Mexico, due to bounty hunting being illegal in Puerto Valley. When a lawyer took his case, Duane sued him, and the lawyer counter-sued and won.

TMZ reported a decade after the incident that Duane had been told to pay $880,000; in 2021, it came out that he owed $880,916 plus interests.

Death

In a sad turn of events, Beth was diagnosed with stage two throat cancer in September 2017 which initially went into remission before then spreading to her lungs. Battling on courageously, in January 2019 she and her family began filming for “Dog’s Most Wanted”, with several episodes centered around her health struggles.

During production, Beth was hospitalized and placed in a medically induced coma in Honolulu, Hawaii, where her wedding to Duane took place. Mere days later, she passed away from complications from the illness, and was cremated. The final episode of “Dog’s Most Wanted”, which is dedicated to her memory, shows intimate footage of Beth’s memorial services in Colorado and Hawaii, as well as her ashes being scattered at sea.

Understandably, Duane broke down in his first interview after his wife’s death, explaining that there was no way to be prepared for the loss of a loved one. “I have a lot of people who depend on me,” he added. “All my supervisors said: ‘Dog, it’s time to man up.’ So I’m trying to man up.”

As the famous bounty hunter wasn’t prepared to throw all of his wife’s ashes into the sea, he kept some in a pink box which he even brought along to the interview. Thanks to an outpouring of support from fans and family, it was soon business as usual for Duane, and he began filming his new series, “Dog Unleashed”, but which was canceled in 2021 before airing.

The show’s production company sued Duane in October of the same year for breach of contract, due to his alleged racist and homophobic outbursts, and illegally using a taser during filming. However, the star and his legal team stoutly denied the accusations.

The situation is yet to be resolved – it’s unclear if he will return to TV anytime soon.